This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Monday's massive 11-game slate will require us to do some drilling as we try to pare down our options. I'll have some advice on that front right after the slate overview.
SLATE OVERVIEW
BOS (-2.5)@ CLE O/U: 200
SAC (-4.5) @ DET O/U: 212
WAS (-2.5) vs. NOR O/U: 213
ATL (-10) vs. ORL O/U: 213.5
NYK (-3) vs. IND O/U: 216
DAL (-4) vs. DEN O/U: 209
MEM (-10.5) vs. HOU O/U: 219.5
PHO (-3.5) @ MIN O/U: 221
MIA (-9) @ OKC O/U: 210.5
POR (-1.5) vs. TOR O/U: 212.5
LAL (-1) vs. CHI O/U: 219
As a rule, loading up on big men is a sound approach to most NBA rosters, and that's a lot easier to do now thanks to FanDuel's new dual-eligibility options. Going in this direction is advisable tonight, as the guard positions are exceptionally deep, and more value is available. Spending up on your PF and C positions is the best way to go this evening.
INJURIES
BOS Jaylen Brown (hamstring) - OUT
There are some other players with injury tags on the roster, but they are probable. Dennis Schroder ($5,700) is a pivot and an absolute steal at this salary level.
CLE Collin Sexton (knee) - OUT
CLE Kevin Love (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
CLE Lauri Markkanen (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
The value here is with the guards. Darius Garland ($6,200) and Ricky Rubio ($6,600) will remain the best pivots. Evan Mobley ($7,500) should continue to thrive in a starting role, but none of the current frontcourt replacements are producing enough to be relevant.
WAS Bradley Beal (personal) - OUT
Beal should remain out, and Spencer Dinwiddie ($6,500) is very underpriced relative to his production in this spot. Aaron Holiday ($4,400) will also be extremely popular as the presumptive starter in the backcourt.
ORL Jalen Suggs (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
ORL Michael Carter-Williams (ankle) - OUT
A value punt play is Gary Harris ($3,600), although R.J. Hampton ($3,900) will also produce if Suggs can't make it.
ATL De'Andre Hunter (wrist) - OUT
Hunter will be out for an extended period with this injury. Kevin Huerter ($4,200) deserves an extra boost in the meantime.
IND Chris Duarte (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
If Duarte is sidelined, Justin Holiday ($4,400) and Kelan Martin ($4,500) will get a boost.
DEN Will Barton (back) - QUESTIONABLE
DEN Michael Porter (back) - OUT
Porter will be out for a while, and I don't expect Barton to be in with the back issue. Aaron Gordon ($5,400) had a great game Friday, and Bones Hyland ($4,300) has also done a lot of damage lately.
PHO Deandre Ayton (leg) - QUESTIONABLE
JaVale McGee ($4,400) and Frank Kaminsky ($5,700) are still viable as Ayton's placeholders.
MIA Jimmy Butler (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
MIA Bam Adebayo (knee) - PROBABLE
Although Adebayo is listed as probable, this is an easy matchup against the Thunder, and he could end up as a scratch. That result is also possible with Butler, who could take a seat. Tyler Herro ($6,900) is always a good option for the Heat, and Kyle Lowry ($7,400) would be in a take-over spot if Butler sits.
TOR Fred VanVleet (groin) - QUESTIONABLE
TOR Precious Achiuwa (shoulder) - QUESTIONABLE
TOR Chris Boucher (back) - QUESTIONABLE
With so much uncertainty for the Raptors, it may be better to fade the potential pivots here, but Khem Birch ($4,100) will almost certainly get a usage boost if the center position remains compromised. Give the starting lineup a look before lock to find some potential value.
POR Damian Lillard (abdomen) - QUESTIONABLE
This is a potential revenge spot for Norman Powell ($5,800), so he deserves a special mention regardless of Lilllard's status. I would typically endorse CJ McCollum ($7,700), but his high salary isn't appealing. He also has struggled without Lillard at times, so on this colossal slate, I'll take a pass.
CHI Nikola Vucevic (COVID-19 Protocols) - OUT
The Bulls don't have much left at center, so perhaps it's a night for Tony Bradley ($4,300)? We should also see a good bit of Alize Johnson ($5,300). I would also take a flier on Javonte Green ($3,700), who's big enough to play a frontcourt role.
ELITE PLAYERS
Nikola Jokic ($11,000) is no surprise at this salary, but the potential for upside against the Mavericks makes him worth considering. Anthony Davis ($10,500) absolutely crushed it with 35 points Sunday, and while it's a back-to-back game, I like his chances with no Vucevic in Chicago. Luka Doncic ($10,600) is definitely playable against Denver, who are dealing with some injury issues.
Jayson Tatum ($9,500) has been a bit disappointing of late, but as long as Brown is out, it's advisable to keep going to the well with him. I also like Trae Young ($9,500) in the back-to-back against Orlando.
He's just below the $9k cusp, but Domantas Sabonis ($8,700) is at a ridiculous salary. Ignore the outlier game against Utah. Thanks to that lousy showing, his salary has dropped to a very palatable level.
Also consider: Ja Morant, MEM ($10,000) vs. HOU
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
DeMar DeRozan, CHI ($8,400) @ LAL
I'm still not convinced that the Lakers are as good as advertised, and I feel the exact opposite about the Bulls. Without Vucievic, everyone will need to take things up a notch, and although Zach LaVine ($8,100) and Lonzo Ball ($6,100) are poised to crush as well, DeRozan is my current favorite. Over his past six games, he's averaged 26.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
Devin Booker, PHO ($8,100) @ MIN
It's hard to say no to Booker at this salary. Booker has averaged well above 40 FDFP over his past five games, and his rebound and assist numbers have been exemplary.
Cole Anthony, ORL ($7,600) @ ATL
Anthony has swiftly become an every-night consideration as he continues to excel as Orlando's floor general. We finally saw a sizeable increase in the assist department for Anthony. If he can keep dishing the ball, we should continue to see FP numbers north of 40.
Caris LeVert, IND ($6,800) @ NYK
Although this game will be slow-paced, LeVert is entirely too cheap. He had a slow start out of the gate against Philly after missing two games, but he should be sharper today against the Knicks. If he plays above 30 minutes, he should be able to meet 5x value at this salary.
Kyle Kuzma, WAS ($6,800) vs. NOR
His salary is soaring a little north of where I'd like him, but with Beal out, Kuzma should continue to see a usage boost. He's had 30 or more FDFP in each of his last three games, and there's no reason to think his numbers will shrink against the Pelicans.
Also consider: Clint Capela, ATL ($6,400) vs. ORL
VALUE PLAYS
As usual, there's considerable value in the injury section, so please run over the highlighted players as you build your lineups.
Talen Horton-Tucker, LAL ($4,400) vs. CHI
Be prepared for THT's popularity to be at an all-time high after he played well in his debut with the Lakers. There's some potential volatility here because it's easy to forget that he's coming off an injury, but there doesn't seem to be a minute restriction on him at the moment. I expect Horton-Tucker to be a vital piece of the offense moving forward, and the contributions should still be steady upon LeBron James' return.
Dillon Brooks, MEM ($5,800) vs. HOU
Brooks is back, and his 23 points in 31 minutes was a sign of things to come. There's no minute restriction on him, and I like Memphis in general against Houston in a soft matchup. Brooks will always be shot-dependent, but he should beat value at this salary as long as he makes more than 15 attempts.
Also consider: Josh Giddey, OKC ($5,700) vs. MIA, Mikal Bridges, PHO ($5,100) @ MIN, Saddiq Bey, DET ($6,100) vs. SAC
